Recipe: West Indian Curried Chicken

My late stepmother Audrey was a wonderful woman and a marvelous cook. A Grenadian, Audrey entered my life with a long list of traditional West Indian recipes. I never questioned what she cooked because everything tasted delicious. It wasn't until later I found out what I'd been eating. One favorite turned out to be oxtail soup made with real ox tails. Another was a little something called Blood Pudding. It's spicy meat stuffed into empty pig's intestines. Before you gross out, consider how many hot-dogs you've eaten. Same thing, minus the spices.

Audrey whipped these meals up without using recipes and I never thought to ask how she made them. Unfortunately, she died young and the least of the tragedy was that I never found out how to imitate her cooking. Thelma, Audrey's mom, shared the following curried chicken recipe with me when I visited her in Grenada several years ago. When you hear Thelma say it, with her lovely West Indian accent it sounds like, "Curry Chicken," not "Curried Chicken."

Traditionally, West Indian men prefer their food spicy hot, whereas the women like it milder. Me, too. What I love about this recipe is you get the curry taste without the burning tongue sensation. If you prefer it spicy hot, add more curry and marinate it overnight.

Gen-u-ine West Indian Curried Chicken
Ingredients:
Four servings of rice prepared separately
1 chicken or equivalent number of pieces
1 large onion, chopped
Clove or two of garlic, minced
Enough soy sauce to cover chicken when marinating
2 large potatoes, peeled then diced
3 Tablespoons of curry powder (to taste)
1 teaspoon of thyme
2 Tablespoons of oil (vegetable or olive)

Directions:
Wash the chicken and cut into pieces if not already done. You can remove the skin, though traditionally it's left on. Marinate the chicken in the thyme and soy sauce for at least 20 minutes but not more than overnight. (If you like it spicy, throw in some curry powder right now and marinate it overnight.)

Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the onion and garlic. Heat on low until onion is slightly brown. Don't overcook. Add the chicken and brown. Stir in the curry and a little water to coat the chicken. Turn the heat up slightly and cook for three to five minutes.

Add the potatoes and enough water to cover everything. Boil until the chicken is soft.

Serves 4.

Presentation:
Serve the chicken and potatoes on a bed of rice. Though a traditional side dish is plantains fried in butter, I find almost anything works, even toasted garlic bread.

Note: This is a recipe where the leftovers taste even better. I've found that if I store it in the refrigerator, the chicken has time to absorb the curry. It's good the first night, better the second, delicious the third, and outstanding on the fourth.